We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have to make a list of invited guests, renovate the courtyard, decide on the details of the garden party, and make preparations. To be honest, one month is not enough time. But since it is an imperial order, it is the duty of the "nobility" to do it. --Even if it's impossible.

(In this situation, a month from now, it would be more realistic to be told to take a small boat out to the open sea and reach the other side...)

As I flipped through the documents at hand, I couldn't help the fact that my thoughts tended towards complaining. Even so, I managed to put myself in a positive frame of mind, thinking that I was still blessed.

The next day after the chiefs arrived, Deanna invited Raia and the three other "named" concubines to a tea party at the Ivy Garden to explain the situation and ask for their cooperation. When she saw that there was no word from the Empress's side even after a whole day, she decided that this was going to be more difficult than she thought.

This garden party was to be held in the name of His Majesty the King, so to speak, an official event of the royal family. As such, each and every preparation must be carried out in accordance with official rules and procedures.
To take one extreme example, the tea leaves for the garden party. It has already been decided to use the tea grown in Letitia's family, the Count of Kiel.
If Leticia only wanted to ask for tea leaves for everyday use, she could simply write a letter to her parents' house and leave it with the lady. But when it comes to tea leaves for a public event, a garden party, the story changes dramatically. The royal court would have to purchase the tea leaves from the Count of Kiel, and Letitia's personal connections would be useless.
A letter will be sent from the royal palace to the Count of Kiel in the name of the king, asking for a certain amount of tea leaves to be used by when. Before the letter can be made, the amount of tea leaves needed for the number of guests and the cost of the tea leaves must be reported and the budget must be approved. Then, who will give permission for the budget execution?

In "official" situations, it is the bureaucrats, whether in the outer or inner palace, who have the most power. Of course, in the absolute monarchy of the Kingdom of Ergeland, the king's "crane's call" is absolute, but we already know that the aristocrats use or manipulate even that.
A female official is an official appointed by the state, and is one of the positions. Their role is to take care of "public" matters in the inner palace, which is very "private". Therefore, their authority is enormous in public situations. In short...

Let's face it, there is no way Deanna can preside over a public event when the chief consort is against her.

(......) Yeah, yeah. I had a bad feeling about this.

The only thing you need to do is to provide the information about the side chambers and the parents' family, which is already compiled in the palace. She didn't even bring that up for a whole day. At this point, it was clear as daylight that Diana's next move would be to confront the chief consort. I stated it frankly in The Ivy Garden.

"Oh, dear. I knew you didn't do much work, but I didn't expect you to go this far.
"I'll leave the negotiations with the Master-in-Chief to you, Diana. I know you don't work much, but I didn't expect you to go this far.
I'll make sure that all the documents are in order and ready to go.

Three of the most reliable, fast-talking, and capable "valets" took care of the specifics of the garden party. Now, Diana can challenge the battle against the lady-in-chief without worrying about her future. ......

It only took three days to bring the documents regarding the side chambers of the palace and their relatives. I told him what had been decided and what needed to be done in the meantime, and gave him the documents (mainly about the maintenance of the courtyard), but I did not know when he would respond next.
I could tell that the other side's approach seemed to be one of unwillingness, slowing down the work, and dragging us down. If I had a question, I would say that it is a risky harassment for such a modest act, which could be regarded as negligence of the headmistress and the women themselves. Generally speaking, if the garden party fails, isn't it the women in charge of public affairs who will be in the most trouble, and isn't it the chief lady who is in charge? I'm not sure about that.

(For the time being, I'll submit this tentative list of invited guests to ......, but I'll have to ask His Majesty to look over this, won't I?

After three days, all Deanna was given was a simple family tree of all the side families. The work itself could be done while she was thinking, since she was ready to make it as soon as she got the information from the palace, but as expected, one side family could not decide on their own who to invite into the royal palace. This is a matter that requires the king's stamp.
On the desk where papers were already piled up, Deanna placed the list of invited guests that she had just made. She tucked a piece of notepaper on top and scribbled, "His Majesty's approval is required, consultation required.

I'm tired. ...... Let's have some tea.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. As I gulped down the cup of tea in an unladylike manner, a chuckle fell.

"What, Kai. Were you there?
"Yes, I was there, just in case.

Since the attack, he has become a "double agent" and has been moving around the palace more freely than before. I'm not sure what to make of that.
However, it's been a long time since he's actually shown up. He came down noiselessly and looked around the room.

He looked around the room. "Red Rose is alone in her room?　What's going on?
I've got to go to ......, otherwise I can't keep up with all the visitors.

In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do. When the extremists who thought that she should take this opportunity to show the prestige of the Red Rose came to her every day, Diana threw up her hands and hid herself in her library. Whenever she was visited, she turned them away, saying, "The Red Rose is too busy with the garden party to meet with you.
Even so, there was no end to the number of people who persisted in coming to see her, and in the end, not only Yuri but even Rita was forced to deal with the visitors. In the meantime, she has to gather information and perform her normal duties. If the girls with the Red Rose weren't capable, they would have stopped working a long time ago.

"I see, that's tough. Oh, is that related to the garden party?
Yes. I haven't done much yet.
Oh, the matron of honor interrupted you?

Apparently, Kai knows a lot. Deanna offered him a chair.

Did you bring that information with you?
"Well, yeah. I figured you'd be wondering by now.



You're a very good secret agent.

"I can see that we're in for a real fight. It's risky harassment for such a low profile, isn't it?
"They're not just trying to harass us, they're trying to move the preparations for the garden party from the Red Rose to the Peony.
"Ah... so here we are.

I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that.

I'm not going to let you get in the way of the Red Rose. I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.
"And you're going to tell him that it's better to leave it to Peony than to leave it to the Red Rose?
The king's trust in the Red Rose will be lost, and his stock in Peony will rise, killing two birds with one stone.
"Trust?　Does he trust me?
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. Regardless of the king's true intentions.
...... Well, whatever the truth is, it's true.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I'm sure you've heard of it. I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.

I don't know why His Majesty asked me to take charge of the garden party in the first place. Official events like this are usually the domain of officials, right?
"But the Red Rose is also known as the Queen's Chamber. It's not impossible that a concubine who enters the room is given the role of queen, even if only temporarily.
"...... is annoying.

It's not a laughing matter.

It's no laughing matter. It's not a laughing matter. Thanks to this, it's turned into a power struggle in the palace, the chief consort has ignored me, and it's been difficult to control the commotion within the palace.
But it's better than having the lady-in-chief in charge from the start and having her collude with the Peony girl.
"...... I see. So, Alford-sama, you didn't object to the Red Rose taking charge, did you?
I'm not sure what to make of that.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. Deanna huffed out a breath.

It's gotten complicated, hasn't it? There's no way I'm going to be able to make preparations for the garden party with the head mistress the way she is. But in order to maintain the balance in the palace, I can't just hand over the reigns to the Peony Faction. ...... What should I do?
I'm not sure what to do.

Kai's statement was that of someone who was perfectly happy to watch the situation from the sidelines. Deanna stared at him.

"You know, we weren't born with a face that scares people. It's true that you can scare people, but that will make you look weak. There's never been a case where the Crester family consciously used their evil face and it worked.
Is that so?
It's been handed down from generation to generation.

The Cresta people have 'bad guy faces', but they are not 'bad guys'. Maybe that's why they can be easily intimidated by the weakness of their opponents, but the more they try to bluff with the fear of their faces, the more they fail.

The more you think about it, the more likely you are to fail.
Can you do that?
It depends on her performance. If she's too reckless in her work, it's better for the country to let her go, ...... considering the future of the palace.
"That's scary, the Cresta family.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

"...... What's wrong?
I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm so desperate.

It's not that I'm not a fan of the idea, but I'm not a fan of the idea. The dark blue eyes have a sincere light in them and are looking straight at Diana.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

"Why?
You can tell from hiding in the palace that the kingdom is at a critical juncture. If Deanna hadn't managed to unite the Red Rose faction with her family of innovators, the enraged nobles of the innovators would have turned on the kingdom sooner or later. And that crisis has yet to pass.
You're right, Kai. You're right.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them in the market. The Cresters themselves are neutral, but they are a notorious family to begin with. No matter what they do in the inner court, they can usually get away with it because they are the daughters of the Cresters. But on the contrary, this could be the reason why even the Red Rose Faction's concubines would dismiss her.

In today's palace, the situation can change drastically with Diana's every move. If you're not careful, you might even find yourself in a civil war between the 'conservatives' and the 'revolutionaries' within the kingdom.
"...... You know that much. You're really brilliant.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before.

You don't think that's unreasonable?　It's not like Deanna herself is at fault in any way, and yet it's as if the future of the kingdom rests on her shoulders alone.
"I don't think so, but... You can't help but think that to a certain extent. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm not sure what to do.
"But even so. I don't think it's healthy to put an extreme burden on one person. And to a seventeen year old girl who has done nothing wrong.



I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. Kai, who had become increasingly unhappy as he spoke, looked at her and - for some reason - became even more annoyed.

"What's with the face?
No, it's just that ...... it's new to me.
What kind of treatment?
A seventeen-year-old girl. Well, I'm seventeen. I'm sure I'm seventeen, but a seventeen year old in the aristocracy is a mature adult who has already made her social debut and is ready to get married. It's a position of social responsibility.
"Because Diana is a noblewoman?　I'm not sure what to make of that.　...... Aren't you being a little too lenient?

You can see from the tone of voice and attitude that Kai's mood has become quite bad. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why. Her head naturally tilted to the side.

I'm not trying to be naive. I'm not trying to be naive, but if I do something wrong, there's a chance that the country will be torn apart and there will be war. You can't just leave it there when you know that.
Because you don't want a war?
That's one thing. If there is a war, the people will be the first to suffer.

The wrinkles between Kai's eyebrows deepened, even though he thought he had given a perfectly normal answer. The stern expression on the face of a well-dressed man is powerful in itself.

"...... Kai?　What's wrong with you?
"Diana, have you ever thought about ...... your happiness, your future?

Suddenly, the topic changed again. You'll be able to find a lot more information on the subject in this article.

"I've been listening to you for a while now, and you're talking about countries, societies, people... I've been listening to you talk about countries and societies and people, and all you're saying is for someone other than yourself. I'm sure Deanna will also say that it's natural for nobles to serve society selflessly. You do realize that only a minority of nobles can actually do that, right?
That's .......

You're right. I can't find the words to reply.

"Aristocrats are human beings. I don't blame the aristocrats who are filled with selfishness. I think they're human in a way.
"So?　So you don't trust nobles like us who haven't forgotten their proper role?
No.

Kai's gaze is strong, but not rough. In fact, Deanna, who didn't understand what Kai was trying to say, was beginning to lose control of her emotions due to fatigue.

What's wrong with working hard for someone else? I'm happy enough, I have parents who are good friends, a brother who is kind to me, and a maidservant who adores me. I was born into a noble family, so I don't have to worry about my daily life thanks to the people. If I have to stabilize the country for them, it is only natural that I should do everything in my power. What's wrong with living for someone who gives to you, not because you're a nobleman?
I'm not saying it's wrong. I know exactly what Deanna and her family are going through.
That's not a problem, is it?
I just...

A calm, yet deep sounding voice tapped Deanna's ear as she stood up. I'm just saying.

I'm just worried that you've given up on wanting what you want, on wanting happiness, on wanting a future, on wanting what is normal for a human being.

Deep in my chest, I hear a sound as if something has cracked. She shook her head to get rid of the "scene" that seemed to come back to her reflexively.

"Deanna?
Thank you for worrying about me. I'm fine.
I'm fine. ...... You don't look fine.
Please, Kye.

I don't know. I don't know what this boy, these dark blue eyes of his, what he sees in them. I don't know so much, I'm even afraid.

But still... I can't stop. I can't show weakness. I can't be upset by being hit in the face.

Because Diana is the Red Rose.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

She took a deep breath and smiled. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"...... Okay.

I don't know how long it's been. Kai muttered quietly and slowly stood up.

"I'm sorry, Deanna.

He looked down and shook his head. No need to apologize. I know he didn't mean it.



"...... You're really sweet.

Suddenly, I felt a pop. I felt a weight and warmth on my head. The next moment, I realized that it was Kai's hand on my head, and with the words, "See you later," his presence disappeared from the room. I looked around the room in a panic, but he was nowhere to be found.

I muttered to myself unconsciously, "...... strange, man.

I muttered unconsciously. My hand wandered through the air and touched my hair, tracing its warmth.

I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to breathe. As I recalled the information Kai had given me and sorted out what I needed to do, my thoughts naturally calmed down.

"Okay.

She opened her eyes and straightened her posture.

Deanna opened her eyes, straightened her posture, and returned to her desk.